Manufacturing turbine stage moving blades of gas turbines, which are highly thermomechanically loaded, from monocrystalline materials having a predefined crystal orientation are known from internal company practice.
The crystal orientation of manufactured blades is checked. If it meets a predefined level of tolerance, the blade is installed, otherwise it is discarded. This results in a stochastic distribution of the crystal orientations within the blade cascade.
On the other hand, adapting the blades of a blade cascade to one another, in particular to improve the oscillation behavior of the cascade, is known from internal company practice.
In particular, mounting bodies so they are movable on blades is known for this purpose from internal company practice. Similarly, mounting bodies so they are movable on blades is also known from internal company practice, for damping blade oscillations by dissipation and/or for intentionally inducing detuning, so that the energy absorption of the blade is reduced.
One object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved turbomachine.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a turbomachine has at least one blade cascade. In one embodiment, the turbomachine is a gas turbine, in particular an aircraft engine gas turbine. In one embodiment, the blade cascade is a moving cascade or guide cascade of a turbine stage or compressor stage of the gas turbine, in particular the aircraft engine gas turbine.
The present invention provides a blade cascade having a number of blades which include a monocrystalline material. In one embodiment, the blade cascade is made of this number of blades or all blades include one, preferably the same monocrystalline material. In one embodiment, one or multiple, in particular all blades are made at least essentially of one, in particular the same monocrystalline material, in another embodiment, for example, only vanes of the blades may also include the monocrystalline material, for example, in particular may be made thereof. In one embodiment, the monocrystalline material includes a nickel, iron, titanium, aluminum, cobalt, niobium, and/or molybdenum alloy, in particular a superalloy, for example, CMSX-2, CMSX-3, PWA 1426, PWA 1480, PWA 1484, Rene, or CM 186 LC or the like, or is made thereof.
Each of the blades has a crystal orientation value, which is dependent on a crystal orientation of the monocrystalline material of this blade, in particular the crystal orientation of this type. The crystal orientation of the monocrystalline material in the meaning of the present invention may be dependent in particular on a deviation of one, in particular a crystal direction of this type, of the monocrystalline material from one, in particular a profile direction of this type, of a vane of the blade, in particular may describe it. The crystal direction may be in particular the [001] direction, [100] direction, [110] direction, [111] direction, [112] direction, [123] direction, or the like, the specification “[XYZ]” identifying the Miller index, which is routine in the art, and which is also specified as “<XYZ>”. The profile direction may be in particular the radial direction, the direction of the so-called stack or thread axis, the peripheral direction, the direction of a profile chord of the vane, or the like. In particular, the crystal orientation in the meaning of the present invention may thus be dependent on a deviation or an angle between the [001] direction of the monocrystalline material of the blade and the stack axis of the vane of the blade, in particular may describe it, which is also referred to as the primary crystal orientation. Similarly, the crystal orientation may also be dependent in particular on a deviation or an angle between the [100] direction of the monocrystalline material of the blade and the profile chord of the vane of the blade, in particular describe it, which is also referred to as the secondary crystal orientation. The crystal orientation value of a blade in the meaning of the present invention may accordingly be dependent in one embodiment on such a deviation, in particular its absolute value, in particular may describe it. In one refinement, the crystal orientation value includes, in particular is, the corresponding angle(s) or its absolute value. Hereafter, for a more compact description, the crystal orientation value is identified with |α|, as is typical in particular for the primary crystal orientation.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the blades are sorted according to their crystal orientation or their crystal orientation value and subsequently situated in sectors of the blade cascade in accordance with their crystal orientation values. In this way, blades of similar crystal orientations may be combined in a targeted or planned way in particular.
Surprisingly, it has been shown that in this way, in relation to a purely stochastic and therefore randomly determined distribution of the crystal orientations within the cascade, in particular its oscillation behavior may be improved, in particular with regard to resonance and/or vibration. Additionally or alternatively, greater tolerances may thus be permitted in the crystal orientation, in that blades having greater crystal orientation values are not discarded, but rather combined in corresponding sectors. This may in particular reduce a reject rate during the manufacturing of the blades using monocrystalline material and may thus reduce the costs thereof.
The sorting of the blades according to their crystal orientation may include in particular nondestructive ascertainment of the crystal orientation, for example, the primary crystal orientation, and subsequent ordering of the blades according to their crystal orientation or their crystal orientation value. Thus, the crystal orientation may be ascertained, for example, by means of the Laue method. The ordering may include arraying the blades according to their crystal orientation values, for example, in ascending order, in particular, so that for the arrayed blades i=1, 2, . . . n, the following relationship applies: |α1|≦|α2|≦ . . . ≦|αn|. Similarly, the ordering may include, in particular be, in one embodiment, a classification of the blades into classes A, B, . . . , so that for the classified blades i=1, 2, . . . n, the following relationship applies: iεAαA0≦|αi|≦αA1, iεBαB0≦|αi|≦αB1, having the class limits αA0, αA1, αB0, αB1, . . . . Within a sector, the blades, which are arrayed in particular, may be situated in their order. Similarly, the blades, which are classified in particular, may also be situated irregularly within a sector, in particular to balance out the blade cascade or the like.
For a more compact description, without restriction of the generality, blades of the blade cascade, whose crystal orientation value is less than a first limiting value, are referred to as first blades, blades of the blade cascade, whose crystal orientation value is at least equal to the first limiting value, are referred to as second blades.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the blade cascade has at least one, in particular precisely one, or multiple first sector(s), which is/are made up of at least three, in particular at least four or at least five first blades which are successive or adjacent in the circumferential direction. In addition, the blade cascade has at least one, in particularly precisely one or multiple second sector(s), which is/are made up of at least three, in particular at least four or at least five second blades which are successive or adjacent in the circumferential direction. In that the sorted blades are situated in accordance with their crystal orientation values in sectors, one or multiple first sector(s) and one or multiple second sector(s) accordingly result, in which exclusively first or second blades, respectively, are combined or situated successively in the circumferential direction. In this way, as explained above, the oscillation behavior of the blade cascade may surprisingly be improved and/or costs may be reduced.
In one embodiment, the blade cascade may include one first sector and one second sector. In other words, the blade cascade may be virtually divided into two parts, each having at least three, in particular at least four or at least five, successive or adjacent blades, all blades of one part having crystal orientation values which are less than a limiting value, while all blades of the other, complementary part have crystal orientation values which are at least equal to this limiting value. As explained in greater detail hereafter, multiple such virtual divisions may be possible.
In a corresponding way, in one embodiment, the blade cascade may include two or three first sectors, which are separate from one another in particular, and two or three second sectors, which are separate from one another in particular. In other words, the blade cascade may be virtually divided into, for example, four parts, each having three successive or adjacent blades, all blades of two separate parts having crystal orientation values which are less than a limiting value, while all blades of the other two separate parts have crystal orientation values which are at least equal to this limiting value.
The combination of blades into sectors of at least three, in particular at least four or at least five, successive blades of similar crystal orientation may be further differentiated in one embodiment. In particular, the second blades may be subdivided in accordance with their crystal orientation still further into first second blades, whose crystal orientation value is at least equal to the first limiting value and at the same time is less than a second limiting value, and second second blades, whose crystal orientation value is at least equal to the second limiting value. For a more compact description, these second second blades of the blade cascade are also referred to in short hereafter as third blades. First second blades and second second blades therefore form the second blades together.
Accordingly, in one embodiment the blade cascade has at least one, in particular precisely one or multiple first second sector(s), which each are made up of at least three, in particular at least four or at least five first second blades which are successive or adjacent in the circumferential direction, and at least one, in particular precisely one or multiple second second or third sector(s), which each are made up of at least three, in particular at least four or at least five second second or third blades which are successive or adjacent in the circumferential direction and is/are also referred to in short hereafter as third sector(s).
In one embodiment, the blade cascade may include a first sector, a first second sector, and a second second sector. In other words, the blade cascade may be virtually divided into three parts each having at least three, in particular at least four or at least five, successive or adjacent blades, all blades of one part having crystal orientation values which are less than a limiting value, all blades of a further part having crystal orientation values which are at least equal to this limiting value and are less than a further limiting value at the same time, while all blades of the third part have crystal orientation values which are at least equal to this further limiting value. Similarly, the blade cascade may also have, instead of one, two or three first sectors, instead of one, also two or three first second sectors, and/or instead of one, also two or three second second sectors. Correspondingly, the blade cascade may include in particular two or three first sectors, which are separate from one another in particular, two or three first second sectors, which are separate from one another in particular, and/or two or three second second sectors, which are separate from one another in particular.
The sorting may be carried out according to one or multiple previously specified limiting values, in such a way that blades may be assigned to previously determined sectors. Similarly, for example, the blades may initially be arrayed or classified according to their crystal orientation values, subsequently one or multiple limiting values may be predefined in accordance with the frequency distribution of the crystal orientation values, and the blades may subsequently be assigned to determined sectors in accordance with these limiting values. For example, of 90 produced blades, if 60 blades have crystal orientation values |αi|<x and in turn 30 of these blades have crystal orientation values |αi|<y<x, y may be a first limiting value, x may be a second limiting value, according to which the 90 blades are assigned to first and second sectors, or first and second second sectors or situated therein.
In particular if limiting values are previously predefined, in one embodiment, one, in particular first and/or second limiting value may be at least 10%, in particular at least 25% of a maximum crystal orientation value of the blade cascade, in particular the crystal orientation value of the blade of the blade cascade having the greatest crystal orientation value among all blades of the blade cascade or a maximum permissible crystal orientation value for the blade cascade. Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment the, in particular first and/or second limiting value may be at most 90%, in particular at most 75% of the maximum crystal orientation value of the blade cascade. For example, if the primary crystal orientation in the blade cascade is at most 15° or an upper limit of 15° is predefined for the primary crystal orientation in the blade cascade, in one embodiment, a first limiting value may thus be 8°=15°·53%, and a second limiting value may be 12°=15°·80%.
In particular if limiting values are predefined in accordance with the frequency distribution of the crystal orientation values, in one embodiment, the blades of a first sector or all first sectors may each or together form at least 20%, in particular at least 35% of the blades of the blade cascade. Additionally or alternatively, the blades of the first sector or all first sectors may each or together form at most 80%, in particular at most 65% of the number of the blades of the blade cascade. Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the blades of a second sector or all second sectors, in particular first and/or second second sectors, may each or together form at least 20%, in particular at least 35%, and/or at most 80%, in particular at most 65% of the number of the blades of the blade cascade.
Within one sector or multiple, in particular all sectors of the blade cascade, in one embodiment, the crystal orientation values of the blades may be situated regularly, in particular in a monotonous sequence, in particular monotonously increasing or decreasing in the rotational direction. In another embodiment, the crystal orientations are irregularly distributed or the crystal orientation values of the blades of one sector or multiple, in particular all sectors of the blade cascade are irregularly situated. This may be advantageous in particular to balance out the blade cascade by corresponding rearrangement of the blades within the sectors.
As emphasized at the outset, in one embodiment, the blade cascade is made of the above-explained sectors, i.e., all blades of the blade cascade are combined into corresponding sectors. In another embodiment, in addition to the above-explained sectors, the blade cascade may have still further blades, which may be situated in a refinement in particular individually or in pairs between first and second sectors and/or between first and second second sectors, with at least three, in particular at least four or at least five blades of similar crystal orientation in each case. The above-explained advantages may still also be at least partially achieved in this way, on the other hand, the flexibility in the arrangement of the blades advantageously being able to be increased.
According to another aspect of the present invention, which may be combined with the above-explained aspect of the arrangement of blades in sectors as a function of their crystal orientation, the blades are also sorted in accordance with their crystal orientation or their crystal orientation value.
Furthermore, two or multiple of the blades, in particular all blades of the number, each have a body arrangement, each having one or multiple body (bodies) mounted so they are movable on the blades.
In one embodiment, one or multiple of these bodies, in particular all of these bodies, may be mounted so they are movable in blade platforms, which are situated on the radial interior of vanes of the blades, of the blades of the blade cascade, in particular in one or multiple cavities in the blade platforms, and/or may be accommodated in cavities which are implemented between adjacent blade platforms.
Similarly, one or multiple of these bodies, in particular all of these bodies, may be mounted so they are movable on outer shrouds, which are situated on the radial exterior of vanes of the blades, of the blades of the blade cascade, in particular in one or multiple cavities in the outer shrouds, and/or may be accommodated in cavities which are implemented between adjacent outer shrouds.
Only one or also multiple bodies may be mounted so they are movable in one cavity in each case, in particular they may be situated or accommodated with play or a degree of movement freedom in one or multiple directions. In each case one or multiple such cavities may be formed on, in particular in, a blade.
According to another aspect of the present invention, different body arrangements are provided, in particular first body arrangements each having one or multiple first bodies mounted so they are movable and second body arrangements, which are different therefrom, each having one or multiple second bodies mounted so they are movable.
First body arrangements and second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, may differ in particular in the number of bodies which are mounted so they are movable on the particular blade, in particular accommodated in cavities. Thus, for example, first body arrangements may all have at most a predefined maximum number of first bodies mounted so they are movable and second body arrangements may all have more than this predefined maximum number of second bodies mounted so they are movable or, vice versa, second body arrangements may all have at most a predefined maximum number of second bodies mounted so they are movable and first body arrangements may all have more than this predefined maximum number of first bodies mounted so they are movable.
Additionally or alternatively, first body arrangements and second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, may differ in particular in the size, mass, mass distribution, and/or shape of one or multiple, in particular all, of their bodies being mounted so they are movable.
Thus, for example, one or multiple, in particular all, first bodies of the first body arrangements may be larger or smaller and/or heavier or lighter than one or multiple, in particular all, second bodies of the second body arrangements. Additionally or alternatively, one or multiple, in particular all, first bodies of the first body arrangements may have a different mass distribution and/or shape than one or multiple, in particular all, second bodies of the second body arrangements.
Additionally or alternatively, first body arrangements and second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, may differ in particular in the orientation of one or multiple, in particular all of their bodies being mounted so they are movable in relation to a cavity which accommodates these bodies. In particular, in one embodiment first and second bodies may be structurally identical, at least essentially, and may be accommodated, in particular guided, in various orientations, in particular mirror-image orientations in the particular cavity. For example, if first and second bodies, which are cylindrical having a section having a larger diameter and an adjoining section having a smaller diameter, are mounted so they are movable in a cylindrical cavity having the larger diameter in its longitudinal direction, the first bodies may thus be situated in the cavities having the section having the larger diameter and the second bodies may be situated in the cavities having the section having the smaller diameter in or opposite to a through-flow direction of the blade cascade.
Additionally or alternatively, first body arrangements and second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, may differ in particular in the mounting of one or multiple, in particular all, bodies being mounted so they are movable in the cavity accommodating these bodies, in particular in a coefficient of friction and/or a play or tolerance dimension of the surface pairing between body and cavity. In particular, one or multiple, in particular all, first bodies of the first body arrangements and the cavities accommodating these bodies may have a greater or lesser coefficient of friction and/or a greater or lesser play in a guide than one or multiple, in particular all, second bodies of the second body arrangements.
According to the further aspect of the present invention, one or multiple first blades each have one of the first body arrangements and one or multiple second blades each have one of the second body arrangements, which differ therefrom.
Surprisingly, it has been shown that, by a planned or predefined assignment of different body arrangements to blades as a function of their crystal orientation, in particular the oscillation behavior of the blade cascade may be improved, in particular with regard to resonance and/or vibration, both in relation to identical body arrangements for blades of different crystal orientation and also in relation to an assignment of different body arrangements to blades independently of their crystal orientation.
In one embodiment, each first body is mounted so it is movable on a first blade and/or each second body is mounted so it is movable on a second blade. Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, at least one first body is mounted so it is movable on each first blade and/or at least one second body is mounted so it is movable on each second blade. If a body is accommodated to be mounted so it is movable between a first and second blade, in particular in a cavity between the first and second blade, this may optionally be a first body, second body, or a third body which differs therefrom.
As explained above, the above-mentioned aspects may advantageously be combined with one another, i.e., the blades may be situated in accordance with their crystal orientation in sectors and the body arrangements may be implemented in accordance with the crystal orientation of the blades, so that in one embodiment first body arrangements are provided within one or multiple, in particular all, first sectors, in particular exclusively, and second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, are provided within one or multiple, in particular all, second sectors, in particular exclusively, optionally no first, second, or third body arrangements, which differ therefrom, being able to be provided at sector boundaries.
If the second blades are subdivided still further in accordance with their crystal orientation into first second blades, the crystal orientation value of which is at least equal to the first limiting value and at the same time less than the second limiting value, and second second or third blades, the crystal orientation value of which is at least equal to the second limiting value, in one embodiment, one or multiple, in particular all, first second blades may have first second body arrangements and one or multiple, in particular all, second second or third blades may have second second body arrangements, which differ therefrom, first second and second second body arrangements being able to differ from one another in the same way as first and second body arrangements, i.e., in particular being able to have a different number of bodies and/or bodies of different size, mass, mass distribution, shape, orientation, and/or mounting. Similarly, it may be provided that only the first second blades or alternatively only the second second blades have second body arrangements.
As explained above with reference to the aspect of the allocation of the blades in sectors, with respect to the association of different body arrangements as a function of the crystal orientation, one, in particular first and/or second limiting value of the crystal orientation value may be at least 10%, in particular at least 25% of a maximum crystal orientation value of the blade cascade, in particular the crystal orientation value of those blades of the blade cascade having the greatest crystal orientation value among all blades of the blade cascade or a maximum permissible crystal orientation for the blade cascade. Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the, in particular first and/or second limiting value maybe at most 90%, in particular at most 75% of the maximum crystal orientation value of the blade cascade.